Editorial:
Experience matters in teaching Gov. Christie's delay of reforms that would cut pensions and benefits to teachers has created uncertainty that could hurt classroom instruction in New Jersey. The proposals include erasing a 9 percent increase to pensions passed by the Legislature in 2001, and a change in the way pensions are calculated. The administration has deferred the reforms in an effort to focus on Christie's proposed 2.5 percent cap on property-tax increases and on state-employee raises.
Experience matters in teaching
Gov. Christie's delay of reforms that would cut pensions and benefits to teachers has created uncertainty that could hurt classroom instruction in New Jersey. The proposals include erasing a 9 percent increase to pensions passed by the Legislature in 2001, and a change in the way pensions are calculated. The administration has deferred the reforms in an effort to focus on Christie's proposed 2.5 percent cap on property-tax increases and on state-employee raises.
Nearly 6,500 school employees have filed for retirement. That's almost double the number of retiring teachers last year. Many departing teachers have said they would rather continue working, but are being "forced out" by fear of the looming reforms.
The increase in retiring teachers will make room for younger teachers who receive lower salaries. But school districts will lose what experienced teachers bring to the classroom - their expertise and mastery of content.
Selected audiences alter reality
As Gov. Christie pushes for controversial reforms, including a 2.5 percent property-tax cap, he shouldn't try to mislead the public about the level of support for his initiatives. The Newark Star-Ledger recently reported that Christie's staff tried to select a "friendly audience" for a town-hall meeting.
Christie's office tried to keep school board members out of a May 17 meeting in Hoboken, writing to a local official: "We would prefer that they not be invited. This is about taxes, not education. Thanks, sorry for the heartburn."
Christie's motives are understandable. Gov. Jon S. Corzine would announce his town hall meetings a week in advance and they included so much railing by opponents that he had to cut his tour short. But what's the purpose if the meetings are mostly populated by people declaring themselves "big Christie fans"?
States should stop betting on casinos
New Jersey is considering allowing online gambling and sports betting to help revitalize Atlantic City's casinos, which are suffering losses and may continue to struggle because of growing competition from Delaware and Pennsylvania.
The effort to add online gambling is part of a trend. Pennsylvania is trying to boost its state budget by adding table games to slots parlors, and Delaware legalized sports betting last spring in a move to reduce its state deficit.
But New Jersey's casinos rightly oppose Internet wagering and sports betting. Casino Association of New Jersey president Joe Corbo says the move would expand legalized gambling beyond Atlantic City and the racetracks, thus hurting these establishments, which depend on customers who are physically on site to rent hotel rooms and make other purchases.
There are federal bans on sports gambling in all but four states. That makes sense since illegal sports betting is already a huge problem in this country. An expansion of sports betting would likely result in even more scandals involving athletes and referees.
It's about time the states found a better solution to their financial woes than expanding gambling.
Editorial:
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